Autumn is the time for root vegetables, but alas some have developed a bad name. Maybe scary memories of over-cooked school dinners are to blame. Put all nasty thoughts of soggy, watery specimens out of your mind and think of glorious, creamy, comfort-giving mash. All root vegetables make wonderful mash, not just potatoes.
Celeriac
What a strange and peculiar vegetable celeriac is. To be honest it looks hideous, but if you can overcome its lack of aesthetic properties you will be rewarded with a truly wonderful taste.
Strange as it might seem, I can’t stand celery and this feeling stopped me from trying celeriac until quite recently. However I am glad I put my prejudices aside and gave it a go.
Yes it does taste like celery but it has a much kinder, less harsh flavour. And it’s great mixed with other vegetables.
Technically celeriac is not a root (neither is swede for that matter), rather they are corms - to you and me that means they are a swollen stem base. For the purposes of this exercise however, we’ll call them roots.
Celeriac contains vitamin C and potassium and can be eaten raw as well as cooked. One of the joys of having celeriac in the fridge is it lasts for several weeks. This means you can always count on there being a vegetable that’s edible in the fridge if you’ve not made it to the supermarket for a while.
Swede
Swede is a member of the brassica family - for those not in the know, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli are brassicas - and grows well in cold climates.
It has a high sugar content and this makes it ideal for roasting, providing a lovely caramelised jacket in the way that parsnips and carrots do.
Historically swede has not been around for all that long. It was an important European crop in the 18th century, then in the 19th century found itself in America where they call it rutabaga - a much more exotic name. Perhaps we should rename it!
Swede is a rich source of many minerals including calcium, potassium and magnesium. It is low is the dreaded saturated fat (unless drenching it in butter) and high in sugars.
If you’re feeling a little cautious, the following recipe will ease you into the wonderful world of root vegetables.
Three Root Mash
500 g good mashing potatoes, peeled and chopped
250 g celeriac, peeled and chopped
250 g swede, peeled and chopped
100 g butter
a good splash of cream
salt and pepper
Simmer potatoes in a pan of boiling water. In another pan, simmer celeriac and swede together. When ready, drain and return to respective pans.
Melt butter in pan and add cream, warm through. Mash potatoes, then add butter and cream. Blend until smooth.
Mash celeriac and swede together and when well combined, add to potatoes. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For extra flavour, add some crushed garlic. The recipe should be enough for about 4 people.
Three root mash goes beautifully with sausages - good quality ones of course!